Variety is the word of the day for The Strokes and their new album, The New Abnormal. The project, released on Friday, generally has a New Wave sound. To simply call it New Wave doesn’t do it justice, as it has Julian Casablancas and the rest of the boys from New York throwing us a bunch of different sounds, ranging from late ‘80s post punk to modern indie pop to mid-oughts guitar rock. @thestrokes are, for the moment at least, stylistic chameleons. Allow me to ramble into the details.

The album begins with a pace that sort of hits you like your morning alarm clock. You’re awake and you’re already hurrying around. It’s the very Strokes-y “The Adults Are Talking.” This is the Strokes at their Strokes best. Brooding guitar, Casablancas’ soft verses, and a catchy, guitar-laden chorus.

”Selfless,” enjoys a very dream-pop beginning. The chorus snaps into a more classic Strokes chorus, with a post-chorus guitar solo that really rips. Casablancas shows great vocal range in this one. A very angsty #Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus,” follows-up. The chorus sort of sounds reminiscent of Good Charlotte, which is fun. The tone is vaguely emo with serious synth-pop going on. “Bad Decisions,” is my favorite song on the album. I always fall for the radio songs, and here I am again, falling for the radio song. It begins with a post-punk look (*cough* The Cure *cough*), and merges with mid-2000s guitar rock along the way. The bridge is a great blend of the two styles. “Eternal Summer,” is a summer time alt-radio hit waiting in the wings. This is a great example of modern indie-pop, akin to something you might get from Foster The People. The intermittent “Hey, yeah, oh!” is a fun wrinkle. “At The Door”… synth-pop jam sans percussion and with “Ill Try Anything Once” feels. “Not The Same Anymore,” is a ballad that in all other ways is fairly Strokes-y. Rounding out the album is “Ode To The Mets,” a final ballad, which begins very synth heavy. The lyrical cadence feels very classic Casablancas, and the song builds into an emotional tour de force as his singing builds into a deafening, painful, shameful roar. Find some time to give The New Abnormal a listen.